Lyrics to 'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holiday: Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. In 1999, Time magazine voted Strange Fruit the Song of the Century. Home / Essay Samples / Music / Song / Analysis Of The Song “Strange Fruit” By Billie Holiday. There is a good explanation there, but basically it is a protest against lynchings. Good Morning Heartache (1956 Version) 5. BILLIE HOLIDAY LYRICS – STRANGE FRUIT Southern trees bear a strange fruit. Robert Meeropol says that in the months following his parents' execution, it was unclear who would take care of him and his brother. The song is comparing black people to the strange fruit, calling them a “bitter crop”. "The '60s hadn't happened yet," he says. Black bodies swingin’ in the Southern breeze. They were subsequently executed. "Strange Fruit" is a song recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939, written by Abel Meeropol and published in 1937. Her name was Billie Holiday. There is a deeper meaning to this song, so those of you who know it, please reply! Du Bois, the boys were introduced to Abel and Anne Meeropol. But he couldn't bring himself to just kill them. But American Communism, one point it had in its favor was that it was concerned about civil rights very early.". Lynching was a practice that involved mob-style execution without trial, most often by hanging, and most often of … One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. He eventually quit the Communist Party. I said, 'What are you going to do with them, Dad? Billie Holiday made history when she sang a denunciation of racial violence, well ahead of the Civil Rights movement: "Strange Fruit." Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit Lyrics. Interpretation and context of Strange Fruit lyrics, analyzed by PhD and Masters students from Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley News photographs of the boys show them dressed in suits visiting their parents in prison. The club's founder had heard a powerful new protest song written by Lewis Allan, the pen name of Jewish high school teacher and left-wing activist named Abel Meeropol. Keystone/Getty Images They had not — but, like many New York teachers in his day, Meeropol was a Communist. Billie Holiday first performed the song in 1939 in Café Society even though she was fearful of retaliation. Robert founded the Rosenberg Fund for Children. Found a great essay sample but want a unique one? was inspired by a photograph of a lynching, Looking For Lady Day's Resting Place? “Strange Fruit” is a testament to the power of music as an impetus for social change. As recounted in the work of author David Margolick (Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Biography of a Song), Joel Katz’s 2002 documentary Strange Fruit, and … Many people know that the man who wrote the song was inspired by a photograph of a lynching. Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller did an instrumental version, with Miller evoking the poem on his mournful bass clarinet. Terms of service and Pastoral scene of the gallant South, The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh, And the sudden smell of burning flesh! It’s quick and easy! New York lawmakers didn't like "Strange Fruit." "One of the most remarkable things was how quickly we adapted," Robert says. The song was first written as a poem by Abel Meerpol and was published in 1937. Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Harris April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. God Bless The Child: 2. Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop Here is a strange and bitter crop Writer/s: Abel Meeropol Lyrics … In the song “Strange Fruit” the singer of the song sings about some rather strange fruit. News accounts described it as "the first husband and wife to die in the electric chair.". "Abel Meeropol's pen name 'Lewis Allan' were the names of their children who were stillborn, who never lived," says his son, Robert Meeropol. Lyrics. The couple's trial and execution made national headlines, and there was also something of a salacious element, given that the Rosenbergs were a married couple. In 1940, Meeropol was called to testify before a committee investigating communism in public schools. We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Blood on the leaves and blood at the root”. When Holiday decided to sing "Strange Fruit," the song reached millions of people. Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh Meeropol graduated from Dewitt Clinton in 1921; he went on to teach English there for 17 years. A routine evolved where she would close her set with ‘Strange Fruit’, while all the lights were turned off save for a lone spot shining on her face. Request writing assistance from a top writer in the field! Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for conspiring to give atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Meaning. They certainly weren't sung about.". They're also both involved in social issues. Thanks! Order custom paper and save your time for priority classes! July 17 marks the 59th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s death. The author appeals to the senses by describing the beautiful scenery with attractive, gentle words followed by the use of strong loaded words, such as “burning flesh” and “bulging eyes” which illustrates the shocking and terrifying sight of the lynched bodies hanging in the trees and adds to the overall impact of the song. They wanted to know whether the American Communist Party had paid him to write the song. Top Lyrics of 2011. I believe Billie sang it originally, too. The song uses metaphors and juxtapositions to fully illustrate the violence and racism of South America in that time. However, the specific reference to black people indicates the song is about racial discrimination and the violence against black people. In the lyrics, black victims are portrayed as “strange fruit,” as they hang from trees, rotting in the sun, blowing in the wind, and becoming food for crows upon being burned. He was also a poet and a social activist, says Gerard Pelisson, who wrote a book about the school. He liked to tell silly jokes and play word games, and he would put on these comedy shows that would leave me rolling.". Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hangi. God Bless the Child (1956 Version) 3. Even family members were fearful of being in any way associated with the Rosenbergs or Communism. Such lynchings had reached a peak in the Southern United States at the turn of the 20th century, and the great majority of victims were black. The Library of Congress put it in the National Recording Registry. Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees. Feel free to use our essay and paper samples. Strange Fruit by Billy Holiday 1351 Words | 6 Pages. It protests the lynching of Black Americans, with lyrics that compare the victims to the fruit of trees. Anne Meeropol plays a song on guitar for her sons, Robert and Michael. Abel Meeropol watches as his sons, Robert and Michael, play with a train set. "He was incredibly softhearted," Robert says. Detour Ahead. The Rosenbergs had also been Communists. For example, there was an old Japanese maple tree in their backyard, which sent out many new seedlings every year. Courtesy of Robert and Michael Meeropol Billie Holiday first performed “Strange Fruit” in 1939 at Café Society, New York City’s first integrated jazz club, after reportedly being introduced to the song by the club’s founder. I needed to find a social justice issue in song or art form, so i decided to choose this song because to me it has to be one of the most powerful songs. Strange Fruit Break Down Strange fruit is an amazing dark poem that was sung by Billie Holiday as a very powerful deep meaning song. A few weeks later, they were living with them. The pleasing nature of the one half of the contrasting pair is outweighed by the devastating nature of the other half. The juxtaposition of the beautiful serene landscape and the “scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh”, with “bulging eyes” and “burning flesh”, gives a strong emotional feeling to the song and again contrasts life with death, positive with negative, and peaceful with grim. They contrast the pastoral scenes of the South with the ugliness of racist violence. The words “strange” and “bitter crop” implies that something in the picture, as vividly portrayed by the lyrics, does not belong and begins to illustrate the point that lynching was a disgrace to humanity and that it did not belong in society. from album: At Jazz At The Philharmonic (1954) Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Strange Fruit: 6. An amateur composer, Meeropol also set his words to music. Recently Added. Meeropol once said the photograph "haunted" him "for days." Popular Song Lyrics. Want to receive original paper on this topic? Billie Holiday. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are taken to prison after being found guilty of nuclear espionage. Analysis Of The Song “Strange Fruit” By Billie Holiday. So did Countee Cullen, Richard Rodgers, Burt Lancaster, Stan Lee, Neil Simon, Richard Avedon and Ralph Lauren. The government’s reaction is also a … Billie Holiday was introduced to the song by Meeropol himself in 1939, and took to performing it during her residency at Cafe Society in New York’s Greenwich Village. "Strange Fruit," he says, took extraordinary courage both for Meeropol to write and for Holiday to sing. The contrast in the first two lines sets the stage for the message of the song by contrasting the life and ripeness of “fruit” to the gruesome deaths as illustrated by the word “blood”. Shmoop guide to Strange Fruit lyrics. If the historical background of the song was not known and the words “black bodies” were removed from the lyrics, the song may have appeared to be a song merely against violence. By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” Source: William P. Gottlieb “Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropol, a white English teacher from New York City, as a protest against the horrors of lynching. Abel Meeropol died in 1986. Influence Of Music On People's Health & Intellect Essay, Analysis Of Trap And Pop Music Genres Essay, Comparison Of The Lyrics Of Troubadours’ And British Pop Artists’ Love Songs Essay, Review Of We Didn’T Start The Fire By Billy Joel Essay, The Analysis Of Kiran Desai’S "Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard" Essay. Samplius is for students who want to get an idea for their own paper. LittleBriddie on April 20, 2004 Link Then, at a Christmas party at the home of W.E.B. Anne Meeropol plays a song on guitar for her sons, Robert and Michael. hide caption. ', "Well, he dug them up and put them in coffee cans and lined them up along the side of the house. And there were hundreds of them. Courtesy of Robert and Michael Meeropol The bulgin’ eyes and the twisted mouth. And that's where the second part of Meeropol's story begins. "They're these little boys and they're wearing these caps, and they look so young and so vulnerable. Southern trees bear strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay Just send us a request “Write my paper”. What a … There are dozens of them. Miller says he was surprised to learn the song was written by a white Jewish guy from the Bronx. The use of the words “strange fruit” is used as a metaphor comparing the fruit and the lynched bodies hanging from the tree. In the late 1930s, Pellison says, Meeropol "was very disturbed at the continuation of racism in America, and seeing a photograph of a lynching sort of put him over the edge.". He was a white Jewish communist man who wrote the poem after seeing photographs of the horrific lynching of black men which haunted him for days. “Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze”, begins to create an image of the violence towards black people. But they might not realize that he's also tied to another watershed moment in America's history. He played it for a New York club owner — who ultimately gave it to Billie Holiday. So he wrote a poem about it, which was then printed in a teachers union publication. Lyrics to "Strange Fruit" on Lyrics.com. Billie Holiday's version eventually sold more than a million copies. BILLIE HOLIDAY Strange Fruit Lyrics. The song has been called "a declaration of war" and "the beginning of the civil rights movement". Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday and Abel Meeropol Summary of Strange Fruit Lyrics Meaning 2 “Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.” Those lyrics mean to me like everything smells nice but then they start burning the african americans, Also Good Morning Heartache: 4. Abel Meeropol watches as his sons, Robert and Michael, play with a train set. Lyrics to "Strange Fruit" on Lyrics.com. Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck, For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, For the sun to rot, for a tree to drop, Here is a strange and bitter crop. ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an average student. Strange Fruit. The man behind "Strange Fruit" is New York City's Abel Meeropol, and he really has two stories. Strange Fruit is a terrifying protest against the inhumane acts of racism. The next line reveals the subject and underlying meaning of the song. His sons, Robert and Michael, both became college professors. In 1999, Time magazine named "Strange Fruit" the "song of the century." image caption April Shipp has … hide caption. The lyrics: Southern trees bear strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Analysis Of The Song “Strange Fruit” By Billie Holiday “Strange fruit” as sung by Billie Holiday, is a protest song about the lynching of black people and uncovers the brutality of racism and violence in South America. “Strange fruit” as sung by Billie Holiday, is a protest song about the lynching of black people and uncovers the brutality of racism and violence in South America. It does not reflect the quality of papers completed by our expert essay writers. Holiday may have popularized "Strange Fruit" and turned it into a work of art, but it was a Jewish communist teacher and … The lyrics are simple, yet they paint a vivid picture of the horrendous brutality many black people faced in that time. hide caption. While the lyrics never mention lynching, the metaphor is painfully clear: Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black body swinging in the Southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. The lyrics were so chilling that Holiday later said "The first time I sang it, I thought it was a mistake. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you. The link is the pseudonym he used when writing poetry and music: Lewis Allan. The lyrics are correct on Billie Holiday's lyric list. Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper. click here. The singer is an African American, female Jazz singer called Billie Holiday. The "strange fruit" referred to in the song are the bodies of African American men being hanged during a lynching. The extreme imagery, deep emotional lyrics, and slow melancholic tone creates a powerful message that forces the listener to face the reality of racial injustice. … Strange Fruit (1956 Version) 7. In its title, Strange Fruit refers to the song of a lynching made famous by Billie Holiday and to the malign persecution that drove Kamau Brathwaite from his New York home to resettlement in his native Barbados. Courtesy of Robert and Michael Meeropol One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Music was a powerful and effective tool to protest racial discrimination. There is something else about Abel Meeropol that seems to connect the man who wrote "Strange Fruit" to the man who created a loving family out of a national scandal. Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Harris April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Billie Holiday - Four By Four Album Lyrics; 1. And he says that even after all these years, he still finds himself unable to kill things in his own garden. He and his older brother, Michael, were raised by Abel and his wife, Anne Meeropol, after the boys' parents — Ethel and Julius Rosenberg — were executed for espionage in 1953. Blood on the leaves and blood at the root. "First of all, Abel, what I remember about him as a 6-year-old was that he was a real jokester. "Strange Fruit" was originally a poem. James Baldwin went there. Get inspiration for your writing task, explore essay structures and figure out a title and outline for your paper. We will occasionally send you account related emails. They were subsequently executed. They both begin at Dewitt Clinton High School, a public high school in the Bronx that has an astonishing number of famous people in its alumni. “Strange Fruit” was a definitely an effectively powerful song. In 1939, at the height of the Jim Crow era, a … The song was first written as a poem by Abel Meerpol and was published in 1937. Privacy statement. Billie Holiday. Meaning to "Strange Fruit" song lyrics (18 meanings) Billboard Hot 100. The song was "Strange Fruit," a haunting critique of lynching and race terrorism in the American South. Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit Lyrics. Our free knowledge base makes your writing task easier. At the time, the Rosenberg sons, Robert and Michael, were 6 and 10, respectively. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are taken to prison after being found guilty of nuclear espionage. What A Little Moonlight Can Do: 8. It was the height of McCarthyism. Journalist David Margolick, who wrote Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song, says, "There are a million reasons to disparage communism now. We recall Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”, a musical protest against this country’s white supremacist violence. Trees bear Strange Fruit '' song lyrics ( 18 meanings ) July 17, 1959 ) was American! The contrasting pair is outweighed by the devastating nature of the song the... Fruit. a Communist him to write the song sings about some rather Strange is. Marks the 59th anniversary of Billie Holiday says, took extraordinary courage for... Had paid him to write and for Holiday to sing `` Strange Fruit is a good explanation,! Supremacist violence outline for your writing task, explore essay structures and figure out a title and outline your. The photograph `` haunted '' him `` for days. as a very poignant image strange fruit lyrics billie holiday meaning... Two stories Meeropol to write and for Holiday to sing `` Strange Fruit '' a! 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